Zinke won't eliminate any national monuments

Saturday, 26 August, 2017

Zinke did not recommend abolishing any monuments.

Arguments about federal overreach in the Obama and Clinton eras - which oversaw the creation of many new national monuments - were sometimes meekly given by government officials, the primary reason that eliminations were expected were opportunistic economic ones.

The recommendations are on whether to shrink the land, get rid of national monument designations or maintain the land as is.

Today's news was a blow to environmental groups that have long expressed fears that the lands could be sold to private development.

A report summary issued by Zinke discussed the review's methodology and said, "Existing monuments have been modified by successive Presidents in the past, including 18 reductions in the size of monuments, and there is no doubt that President Trump has the authority to review and consider recommendations to modify or add a monument".

At Trump's direction, Zinke earlier this year launched a review of 27 national monuments, a controversial move that could undo protections for millions of acres of federal lands, as well as limits on oil and gas or other energy production.

The Associated Press interviewed Zinke regarding the monuments on August 24, the end date of a 120-day review ordered by the president in April.

Chu said the public deserves to see the complete list of recommendations that were sent to the White House.

Zimbabwe, South Africa resolve row over airlines
Reports from South Africa also indicate that Grace had met with hotel management over the miscarriage and her violent behaviour. President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace attend a rally of his ruling ZANU (PF) in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe, July 29, 2017.

Some 2.4 million public comments, almost all of them supporting the national monuments - including the dazzling and historically important geological formations of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears in Utah - were submitted in the past 60 days. During a two-month period of public comments, the Interior Department received more than 2.4 million comments - and an overwhelming majority was in favor of keeping the national monuments, according to the Center for Western Priorities.

Opposition to the review was the lowest among Nevadans and Mainers; 72 percent and 75 percent, respectively, opposed any tinkering with the monuments. "That narrative is patently false and shameful".

Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch said Thursday he looks forward "to assisting in every way possible as additional details about the future of Utah's monuments are made public".

According to The New York Times, parts of Bears Ears and at least three other national monuments would lose their strict protection and could be reopened for new mining or drilling under proposals submitted to President Donald Trump by Zinke on Thursday, according to congressional aides and others who have been briefed on the report.

The Antiquities Act is the first law to establish that archeological sites on public lands are important public resources. At the time, Trump said the goal of the review was to end "another egregious use of federal power" and give the states more say in how public lands are used. He's also said that Bears Ears monument in Utah should be downsized.

Bishop also repeated a previously debunked talking point that the AntiquitiesAct was originally meant to protect lands of up to 320 acres. "No President has ever abolished or revoked a national monument proclamation, so the existence or scope of any such authority has not been tested in courts", legislative attorney Alexandra M. Wyatt wrote in a paper about National Monuments released by Congressional Research Service in 2016.

Environmentalist and senior vice president of Oceana, Jacqueline Savitz, blasted the announcement as vague, intentionally misleading and openly questioned why the recommendation had not included specific monument reduction targets.

Trump Signs Order Authorizing New Sanctions on Venezuela
The exceptions are designed "to mitigate harm to the American and Venezuelan people", according to the White House statement . The measures to be announced on Friday would come days after Vice President Mike Pence met with Venezuelan exiles in Florida.

Jared Kushner Arrives In Jerusalem To Talk Peace
USA envoy for worldwide negotiations Jason Greenblatt and deputy national security advisor Dina Powell also attended the meeting. But he has since given few details on his vision for peace, managing to frustrate both sides.

Australian same-sex marriage debate heats up
To have your say in the postal survey on same-sex marriage, you must be correctly enrolled to vote by midnight on August 24. Openly gay television host Ellen Degeneres wrote 'Australia, I love you.

Samsung Galaxy Android 8.0 Oreo Updates Confirmed
According to Google's numbers , most Android devices - about 85% - aren't even on Android Nougat , last year's release. The update brings a big revamp of the notification panel, with a new layout, colors, and features, like "snoozing".